Uurlgarsh
Population: 6,400 (75% Goblin, 15% Bugbear, 10% Hobgoblin) Government: Tribal Council Religions: Goblinoid Pantheon Imports: Slaves, Weaponry, Gunpowder Exports: Slaves, Timber Alignment: CE, CN, NE Life and Society The Goblinoids of Uurlgarsh have incorporated some modern mainstream architecture and engineering philosophies into their city, unlike most other Goblinoids, who eschew such things. Most buildings in the city are made of timber and other vegetable matter, being very sturdy straw-hut-like structures. Wells tapping into underwater springs and other sources of water are utilized. Crude streets, made of packed soil and dirt, rather than brick masonry, criss-cross the settlement. Even though the Goblinoids of Uurlgarsh live in a city, unlike most other Goblinoids, the city itself isn’t as ‘progressive’ as other cities are. Random murder, without very much investigation is still an occurrence that is fairly common in the city. Private militias and gangs are something that are looked down upon, and are dealt with somewhat, but overall, most Goblinoid tribes have their own private militias. Since Gorak Grimtooth came into power, there have been many reforms concerning Uurlgarsh’s military. Before he rose to power, Uurlgarsh had no actual military. Instead, tribes dealt with issues by themselves, and militias were raised only when the situation was deemed necessary. Gorak instituted a formal military, composed of contributions from the various tribes living in the city. The Goblin leader has strove to impart in the military of Uurlgarsh to refrain from the swarm tactics espoused by traditional Goblinoid teachings, and to use tactics and weaponry developed by other cultures. Of particular fascination to Gorak is gunpowder, obtained from the Shou Empire. The Goblinoids of Uurlgarsh aren’t complete savages. Long ago, they learned to harness the power of many of the creatures living in the jungles with them. Among the Goblinoids of Uurlgarsh are small legions of Boar-Riders, Rhinoceros-Riders, and Elephant-Riders. The residents of Uurlgarsh haven’t developed agriculture, however. Rather, that is, since eating fruits and vegetables do not appeal to them, they have had no reason to develop any kind of sustainable farming in or around their city. In Uurlgarsh, slavery is legal, and is accepted by the population as a whole. The city still has a fairly low slave population, however. Part of the reason is because of the willingness that elders have to risk lesser members of their tribes in jobs that are traditionally handled by slaves. Another reason may be because of the tendency for Goblinoids to resort to violence as the solution to their problems, and their general poverty, which would make killing and replacing slaves on any kind of large scale impossible. Major Organizations The Tribal Council Major Geographic Features Uurlgarsh is located within the dense woods of the Cape of the Claw, named two-fold because of it’s shape, which roughly resembles a claw, and because of the presence of the Goblinoid city. The woods on the peninsula have no actual name, but are so commonly called the ‘Goblinwoods’ that the term is used by nearly all geographers. The Cape of the Claw is a temperate zone. Uurlgarsh utilizes the natural resources of the area to the greatest effect. Trees are cut down to produce, among other things, wood huts for living, wooden spear shafts, that Goblinoids consider art, sea-faring vessels both large and small, and other things. Because the Goblinoids virtually have no agriculture, the woods around Uurlgarsh have purposefully been made very thick, to make it more difficult for slaves to escape the city, and for natural protection. Uurlgarsh is very rarely in the path of hurricanes that develop in the Sea of Stars. Normally, these storms hit the Shou Empire, but history has demonstrated that, sometimes, the storms hit the northern reaches of the Cape of the Claw. As of yet, these storms have never hit Uurlgarsh, but they remain a thread that can possibly befall the city. Important Sites The Great Hut Regional History In Goblin, ‘''Uurlgarsh''’ literally means ‘Place of Important Meetings’. Goblin tribes have long inhabited the Cape of the Claw, and for much of their history, Uurlgarsh was not a set, definite place, but rather, where ever various tribes met with each other to discuss tribal alliances, and other important matters. The current Uurlgarsh was originally territory controlled by the Warclaw tribe. Because of the temple that the Warclaw Goblind built, the immediate area was declared a free zone, for all Goblin tribes to come to and worship the Goblin deities. Over time, what was once simply a temple grew to become a small settlement, as ‘pious’ Goblinoids sought to be closer to their deities, tactically minded Goblinoids sought to be closer to uncontested, neutral territory, and others, for other reasons. Disputes soon began breaking out concerning the administration of the temple, and the various settlements that had sprung up nearby. While the area was technically in territory controlled by the Warclaw tribe, the coming of others lessened their political power in the area. In 1,074, seven of the most powerful Goblinoid tribes in the area came together and settled on how to administer the site of Uurlgarsh. It was agreed upon that a council with seven members, each representing one of the tribes, would tend to the affairs of Uurlgarsh. Together, the Goblinoids could present a unified force that would greatly enhance their collective strength. For decades after Uurlgarsh was formally founded, it slowly grew and thrived, as best a Goblinoid city could. The Goblinoids found very few allies on the surface, who were willing to have any kind of political relations with them. Most, instead, were icy towards Uurlgarsh, or considered the Goblinoids political enemies. In 1,133 Gorak Grimtooth killed his father, Blek, and took control of the Grimtooth tribe and of the Grimtooth seat on the Tribal Council. Gorak was the youngest member of the Tribal Council, and his views and opinions often clashed with those of some of the other members of the council. As a member of the Tribal Council, however, Gorak’s words and beliefs were always duly noted and considered, though often times he was overruled during council sessions, by being outvoted. Early in 1,345, Gorak Grimtooth first met Vrakka, an enigmatic Goblin magician. Vrakka was not from Uurlgarsh, but was allowed to stay in the city, as is customary for the Goblinoids to offer to other Goblinoid creatures. Vrakka and Gorak met and some point, and the elder Vrakka soon converted Gorak to the worship of Ashardalon, a mighty Demon-Dragon that the magician wielded the power of. Gorak agreed to worship Ashardalon, and in return, Vrakka would advise the younger warrior, and aid him in successfully taking control of Uurlgarsh himself. Empowered by the power of Vraaka and Ashardalon, Vrakka’s dark patron, Gorak seized power by the end of 1,345. Covertly, Gorak and those working for him tainted the drinking water of the clans that rivaled him in the Tribal Council. The poisons in the water rendered all of the Goblinoids in rival tribes sterile. Only though the antidote that Gorak had could their fertility be temporarily restored. Begrudgingly, facing the extinction of their clans, tribal leaders one by one deigned to Gorak. Since coming into power, Gorak has strove to introduce some radical reform into the city. As a worshipper of Ashardalon, backed by another worshipper of Ashardalon, Gorak seeks to slowly phase out the worship of the old Goblinoid deities, and replace them with Ashardalon and Ashardalon alone. Already, he has renamed the Cape of the Claw the ‘Cape of Ashardalon’, something that has yet to be adopted by other cartographers.